A World Apart
by l Cindy l
Summary: She's a human, he's a spirit, she loved him, he loved her, nothing could come between them except they're a world apart...R+R!^^
1. Memories

A World Apart

_Memories_

Author's note: Another SA fanfic,_ I had just seen spirited away last week and I'm already watching it the 2nd time! It's sooo good, you must go see it! This fanfic continues 5 years after Chihiro had been to the spirits world_

* 

15 years old Chihiro sighed and slammed her locker door shut. Somebody just slipped a love letter through her locker, sometimes Chihiro wondered why would any of the boys like her, she's just plain old Chihiro, there's nothing special about her. This is the 3rd time this had happened during the year, and it's the only beginning of the school year!

Chihiro liked her new school, everyone's really nice here, and few of the boys are actually pretty decent, but for some reason she took no interest in them. Maybe it's because she has someone special in her heart, but she doesn't actually know it.

Sometimes Chihiro just stared out the window and wondered why is she still waiting, waiting for someone to come and take her back to that odd yet wonderful world, the world of the spirits. The memories of it was so clear it was like she had just came back yesterday, she could remember everything, from the bath house to the name of the workers. She had missed all her friends when she had came back the first day, and the very next day she had went to look for the tunnel again, but it wasn't there anymore, it's like it never existed. The only passage to the spirits world had vanished, there's no way she's ever going to see her friends ever again. But Chihiro wouldn't give up, she had searched all the forest and still couldn't find the tunnel, until finally she realized it was no good searching it anymore, so she had packed her green stripped t-shirt, pink shorts and her yellow shoes into an old box, but she's always wearing the purple hair band. She had packed those stuff away because she thought maybe then she could forget the whole thing, but it only made her pain worse, she had cried and cried until she couldn't cry anymore. Then suddenly she remembered that Haku or alaso  known as the river god Kohaku had promised to come and visit her, so she waited patiently, 1 year passed, 2, 3 until 5 years later there had been still no signs of Haku.

It was exactly 5 years since Chihiro had been to the spirits world, this was the day her parents had drove through the forest and discovered the tunnel.

'Maybe...I'll just try once more…' thought Chihiro as she took her t-shirt, shorts and shoes out of the box. She put them on, sure, they're too small on her now, but Chihiro want just to try once more to find the spirit world. 'I'll just pretend this is that exact day I went in the tunnel.' Chihiro carefully took out the goodbye card her friend had given her when she moved and tucked it inside her pocket.

Chihiro walked silently near the countryside, 'This is it, if I don't find the tunnel I'll just pack away my purple hair band, and that way I probably will forget this whole thing much more easier…' She walked into the forest that 5 years ago her dad had drove through and almost cost a car accident, everything looks the same, just exactly what she remember 5 years ago.

Chihiro closed her eyes and walked slowly in the peaceful forest, then suddenly she felt bright sun light shines through her eye lid, she opened her eyes slowly and infront of her was no other then the statue, the strange little statue that her parent's car had almost hit, and beyond that was the dark tunnel.

Chihiro cried out in amazement "This is impossible! I had actually find it!" Without thinking anything, she rushed into the tunnel and prayed that this isn't just a dream. She ran through the old amusement park and out into the green field, she breathed in the fresh air, and at the same time she could smell the delicious smell of the spirits food. Chihiro climbed slowly up the hill, and infront of her was the town, the town of the spirits. The sun is getting low now, soon the quiet town would be filled with all different kind of spirits. Chihiro walked through the town, she went up a flight of stairs and crossed a red wooden bridge, and she looked up, at the huge red building with all different color of lights shines bright out the windows. It looks warm and welcoming. 

Memories begin to rush back to her again, she could remember everything, , a boy with dark black hair, Haku, or also known as the river god Kohaku, the boiler room and Kamaji, the little black sods,  Rin, the bath house, Yobaba, Granny, No-face, the train and her other name, Sen.

"This is it! This is the place I've been looking for for the past 5 years! I'm finally back!" cried Chihiro happily as she rushed towards the entrance to the bath house…and that's when our story, begins once again…

_I know, this chapter is short, please tell me if you guys think I should continue this or not! Thanks^^_


	2. The Return

A World Apart

_The Return_

Author's note:  W00t~! thanks to all the people who commented! ^___^ Reviews means a lot to me even flames :D Well, here's next chapter, enjoy!

* 

Chihiro walked towards the front entrance of the bath house, this time she doesn't need to hold her breathe and go into the side door anymore. She could walk proudly to the door like all the other spirits.

The spirit past her by all looked at her, and start to point and whisper. Then suddenly the little frog spirit cried "Oh my lord, this is Sen, no, I mean Chihiro!" Every spirit turned and look at Chihiro, admiralty

"She's the one who helped the polluted river spirit!"

"I heard she fought that no-face monster single hand!"

"Can you believe it? She returns the golden seal to Zeneba and manages to get back!" 

"She had won the deal against Yubaba!"  
Chihiro couldn't help to blush, when she leaved the spirit world last time she knew she had already made lots friend, but now she's like a hero to all the spirit, they all knew her, she was famous! Then Chihiro heard a familiar voice.

"What's all the commotion here? Get back to work now!" Chihiro stared at the tall and skinny girl, it was none other than Rin

"Oh Rin!" Chihiro rushed towards her as she tries to get through the crowd of the spirits

"Hmm? Are you…it's Chihiro! You're finally back! Do you know how much I had missed you?!" cried Rin as if she was about to cry.

"I missed you so much too!" Chihiro smiled as she give Rin a big hug

"C'mon, what you standing here for, you're gonna catch a cold if you don't hurry inside." Rin said as she pushed Chihiro towards the door. "I'm sure everyone would be thrilled to see you back!"

"Maybe except one person…Yubaba." Chihiro muttered underneath her breath, she remembered very well how mad Yubaba was when she had won the deal and Yubaba had to destroy the contract.

Then she remember who she wanted to see the most, Kohaku.

"Where's Haku? Does he still works here?" asked Chihiro

"Ya, well, kinda of, he only works here part time now, I have no idea where he's been for the past few days though…"

"What? Haku's missing?"

"Don't worry, the great river god Kohaku can handle himself, he won't be in any danger."

"But…"

"Oh quite worrying about Haku, the last person here I would worry is him."

The foreman at the counter looked up and saw Chihiro coming in the bath house, he quickly phoned Yubaba.

"I'll take you to see Kamajii, he'll be so happy to see his granddaughter back again." Rin said happily as she took Chihiro's hand.

"Hold on, not so fast!" said a voice Chihiro knew too well "What do you think you're doing here in my bath house?" said an rather short old lady with snow white hair and blue fancy dress

"Ahhh, hello Yubaba!" was all Chihiro could say, after all these years she's still kind of afraid of Yubaba

"Hmm…You've come back I see, for what? To stir more trouble in my bath house?" said Yubaba as she looked Chihiro up and down

"No, no, I just came back to visit my friends, honestly!"

"Fine." Sighed Yubaba " I have to admit that after you arrived here the bath house's business had been great, lots customers came to see you…well I guess you could stay here for awhile, and do not invite any more strange guest in like last time you did with that no good no-face monster."

"Okay, thanks Yubaba" smiled Chihiro sweetly, she can still see that Yubaba still loves gold, but she had turn to a much nicer person. "I'll see you later!" Chihiro waved as she and Rin went down to the boiler room.

"Yeah yeah."  Yubaba said as she walked towards the door and looked out into the stormy sky "Whenever this girl come, there is going to be trouble, big trouble…"

 "Let's go" said Rin as she and Chihiro went down to the bottom level of the bath house. She opened up a small sliding door and already Chihiro could smell the smokes and steam of the boiling water

"Eyy? Who's there?" said Kamajii as he looked up and adjusted his glasses.

"It's me grandpa, Chihiro." 

"Ahh…Chihiro, I knew one day you would come back, you had surely grown into a beautiful young lady."

Chihiro blushed and walked towards the boiler man, she still remember how scared she was when she first came here. Then she saw the soots, little black fur balls as they came out of their hiding place, they surrounded Chihiro. "I guess they still remember me." Smiled Chihiro as she took one of the goals and throw it into the boiler, this time, no longer afraid of the burning fire.

"I've been busy lately, I should demand a pay rise." Kamamjii said as he took out some green herbs with one of his hands and put it into a boll "Too many guests are coming here now, you should see Yubaba's face after she counted the gold everynight."

"Does she still treat you guys badly?" 

"Na, not really, sure she still yells at times, but you know Yubaba, she and her precious gold." Rin said as she crossed her arms.

"Mmm, grandpa? Have you seen Haku any where?"

"Hmmm? Haku? Yes, the last time I saw him he was talking to Yubaba."

"Does he still do Yubaba's dirty work?" asked Chihiro worriedly 

"No, not anymore, he usually just go send something that Yubaba gives him and come back with a bag of gold or two."

"Hey? What's with all this Haku things, you always ask about him." Rin said

"I already told you Rin, it's a kind of feeling you would never experienced, love."

Rin shrugged

'Love…' thought Chihiro, sure she loved Haku, as a friend, but did that change, did that love changed to something else?

"Rin! Get up here, there's customers waiting!" yelled one of the workers

"Okay okay, jeez, can't I get a break for 5 minutes?"

"It's Yubaba's orders, if you want to risk getting fired then go ahead."

"Fine, I'm coming." Rin said as she climbed out the sliding door "Hey Chihiro, mind giving me a hand here? More and more customers come here everyday, and it's getting harder and harder to serve them all."

"Sure, I'll help." Chihiro said as she turned to Kamajii "I'll see you later okay grandpa?"

"Okay, good luck on serving those costumers, some of them are rather strange, they might say something you might not like, but don't take it seriously."

"Thanks." Chihiro said as she followed Rin out of the boiler room and onto the elevators.

The bath house looks the same as Chihiro last remembered it, bright lights everywhere and steamy bath filled with different kind of spirits, workers carrying plates of food serving it to the hungry costumers. But something is different, it's much more crowd, Chihiro couldn't walk 5 steps and bump into somebody.

"We don't have to clean the big tube today do we?" asked Chihiro hopefully

"Oh no, that will always be frog work now." 

Chihiro had been trying to see Haku through the crowds of costumers, but no luck, there's no sign of Haku anywhere.

"I want some more hot water!" said a chicken spirit beside Chihiro. "Oh sir, I'll go get some." 

Chihiro was already lost in the crowds, she couldn't even see Rin now. She quickly took a bucket of hot water and made her way back to the chicken spirit.

"Here's your hot water sir." Chihiro said politely as she poured the bucket of hot water into the tube. Then she looked around trying to find Rin, and that was unsuccessful because she bumped into a strange looking spirit that looked like a huge jellyfish.

"Sorry sir, I didn't mean it." Chihiro said staring up and the huge spirit

"Hmph! Don't mean it! Right, you've eyes don't you _human, _what are you doing here in the bath house, your filthy little brat!" said the jellyfish angrily

Chihiro remember very clearly that when she first arrived at the bath house everyone disliked her because she's human, but just as she thought everything had changed she had bumped into this rather over weighted jellyfish who's clearly, has a thing for humans.

"Well, I said sorry, what else do you wanna me to do?" asked Chihiro impatiently as she try to look past the jellyfish to find Rin

"You could get out this bathhouse this instance, that would do me a big favour." 

"Oh, I haven't got time to chat with you now, I have to find Rin, she needs my help." Chihiro said as she tries to get past the spirit

"Oh no not so fast your filthy little human!" said the jellyfish blocking Chihiro's way

The people around them all start to quiet down and they were all looking over at Chihiro's direction. Chihiro feel her face grow hot, and as she had just expect it, whenever there's trouble in the bath house she was bond to see Yubaba running down the stairs.

"What now?" Yubaba shouted impatiently

"Err, I'm…hmmm, having some trouble with this _nice _costumer here." Chihiro said slowly 

"You must be the head boss here eh? The jellyfish said "Then you must know that most spirit dislikes weak and germ filled humans working in a bathhouse."

"Not exactly most spirits." Stuttered a frog spirit "See, I don't mind working with a human."

"I know, this nice girl here had just give me some hot water" said the chicken spirit that Chihiro had just helped earlier 

The jellyfish looked stunned, he opened his mouth again but closed it instantly, deciding that most spirits here is on Chihiro's side. 

Then suddenly Yubaba narrowed her eyes, she was listening intensely at something.

"What is it?" asked Chihiro, she was hopping that Kohaku had returned

"Shush, something's coming, something big, and much worse then the stink spirit…" mumbled Yubaba "What are you all waiting for? Haven't you all heard what I've just said? Close all doors and windows right now! Whatever is coming might not be a welcomed costumer."

A rush of the bathhouse workers all went to the door and used whatever was solid to block the door. Chihiro could hear the loud thundering sound growing near and nearer. 'Uh oh, this isin't going to be pretty…'


End file.
